We couldn't believe what we were seeing. It started as a narrow band of light that looked like it was just a wisp of fog. But then it changed shape, bending at the edges. Then it widened, and the colors became more vivid. And most incredibly, the lights began to create vertical flares. The show lasted well over an hour, after which the lights filled the sky while they gradually faded.

These are time exposures, ranging from one to five seconds, with the camera set to ISO-3200.